Testing crucial for the future of electric aviation

Paving the way for a new type of aviation means overcoming a number of complex challenges – such as battery weight, thermal management, fire safety and power grid capacity. The demands are high, and so are the expectations. That's why testing is a natural and critical part of the development process.

With its battery-powered regional propeller aircraft, Heart Aerospace is creating a new generation of aircraft that is emission-free and significantly quieter than conventional fossil-fuelled aircraft – an important step in the transition to a more sustainable transport system.

Heart's first full-scale aircraft prototype will serve as a platform to test and further develop the company's hybrid electric propulsion system. As part of the development work, a first all-electric test flight of the prototype is now planned for later in 2025. Prior to this flight, Heart is testing all critical systems by running hardware both on and off the aircraft.

Testing enables next step in development

"Before we could start testing on a larger outdoor test bed, we needed to verify the engine's performance in a laboratory environment," says Johan Hellsing, Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer at Heart Aerospace, and continues:

"We contacted SEEL in Nykvarn, where we had the opportunity to test the engine in a controlled environment. This allowed us to identify any problems in good time before the engine was moved to a more complex and costly test environment. This was crucial in giving the go-ahead to proceed."

Testing to find weaknesses in time

The tests were carried out on one of SEEL's test rigs – the E-Axle Heavy Duty – and were able to simulate all parts of a flight: from taxiing and lifting to climbing, flying and landing.

"Testing always brings surprises. As an engineer you want everything to work, but the whole point of testing is to find the weaknesses before moving on."

"Access to SEEL's laboratory was crucial at this stage. We got fast and professional help, and the staff were both flexible and competent. In addition, the equipment we needed was available to us – with the right capacity for this mission," says Johan Hellsing.

"Heart Aerospace is one of the world's most advanced companies in the development of electric aircraft. We at SEEL are proud to be part of this fantastic journey and to support them in their challenges, for example in testing electric motors," says David Ekholm, Head of Driveline Testing at SEEL.

Research, development and testing infrastructure

SEEL has a test infrastructure that enables it to carry out technical research, concept development and testing of technical components and systems.

"At SEEL we have the ability to quickly familiarise ourselves with the technical challenges of integrating different test objects into our test cells. Regardless of whether they are for aircraft or other vehicles. We can test everything from individual components to subsystems and complete vehicles. Nothing is impossible until it has been proven," says SEEL's David Ekholm.